Working With a Search Firm as a Candidate

Executive search firms are engaged by organizations that appreciate the power and impact that the right talent, particularly the right leader, brings to an institution. The reverse is also true. The wrong hire can be costly, and, for leadership positions, the wrong leader can set an organization back years. Firms are used primarily for senior positions, as the title of ‘executive’ search consultant implies; yet, they are also used for hard-to-fill, impactful, and other strategically important positions. It is worth noting that when organizations hire search firms, the firms work in the best interests of the colleges and universities that engage them.

Search consultants perform a variety of roles for their clients; however, the most notable component of their candidate-facing responsibilities is recruiting talented but passive candidates who are not actively in the job market and therefore would not normally see job vacancy announcements. The consultant woos candidates into the marketplace by introducing them to strong opportunities with great organizations. Equally important are their roles in screening and evaluating candidates, as well as in facilitating the search process.

Engaging with Consultants

When a search consultant contacts you, it offers a strategic opportunity to extend your professional network. Many professionals may be tempted to ignore or delete unsolicited emails about openings in which they currently have little interest. However, a simple ‘No, thank you’ e-mail response may keep the door open to future opportunities. First, some flattery may be in order. You were likely solicited because your impressive background has come to the search firm’s attention. Second, since you are in their database and are likely to receive future emails about other opportunities, engaging with the consultant can help you receive more tailored messages. If you are an East Coast native and would not consider opportunities on the West Coast, or vice versa, sharing this information helps your cause.

Next, referring the search consultant to others who might be interested in the opportunity you were contacted about can also help you get noticed. The more the search consultant knows about you and appreciates your professionalism, the greater the likelihood that you will stand out from the crowd and be informed about future opportunities — including those that are never advertised. If you are committed to one place, like your alma mater, and not interested in growth opportunities, sharing this information would also be helpful. Nonetheless, if your life circumstances change, it is valuable to have a professional relationship with consultants who can provide you with access to opportunities, information, and advice on advancing your career. They are also invaluable as a source of market intelligence. They always have their hand on what is going on in the marketplace and know the prevailing salary for many professions.

Screening, Assessing, and Vetting

Every call with an executive recruiter is an interview because their job is to conduct a first-pass screening of candidates and advance to their clients the most competitive ones. The screening and evaluation process is multi-layered, and scrutiny increases as the process unfolds. Therefore, one should expect multiple calls with the search firm. In all likelihood, before a candidate is presented to a client, they have had at least two calls with a consultant and possibly one with a senior consultant as well. One’s background will also have been scrutinized using all available public information and possibly other proprietary means. The screening and evaluation process may include a review of one’s social media, LinkedIn profile, publications, conference presentations, and more. The consultant’s role is to ensure that you are a match for the position beyond what is found on the resume.

The vetting process starts before an initial conversation and continues until a candidate is hired. These deep-dive efforts are of profound importance because hiring is not merely a paper exercise, and seasoned consultants are trained to look for both tangible and intangible indicators of success that bode well for the position in question. Therefore, your goal as a candidate is to ensure that the search consultant fully understands your bona fides, so they will be better positioned to articulate your strengths to the search committee or hiring manager. Preparing well for conversations with the consultant and treating those calls as interviews, even though they are always conversational and seemingly casual, is vital to advancing one’s candidacy.

Later in the selection process, when a candidate becomes a finalist, search firms may also administer psychometric assessments on behalf of the institution to further inform the hiring decision. Additionally, the referencing process will likely comprise multiple rounds. Your regular reference list is just a starting point, as search firm consultants will ask for more and different references when you become a finalist.

Partnering with Your Consultant

While consultants work for the institution, they do want you to succeed in the process if you are a competitive candidate. As a practical matter, consultants cannot talk to every applicant, and it is not their role to help you with your resume. It is wise to be respectful of their time and not ask consultants for information about an opportunity found on an institution’s website or in the published position profile. When you get the opportunity to talk with a consultant, asking pointed questions about the not-so-obvious requirements of the position, strategic priorities, and the hiring official’s preferences are better discussion points. Furthermore, candidates make major mistakes and may lose the current opportunity and future ones when they tell the consultant and hiring manager conflicting things about their salary, relocation, and job requirements. Remember, the consultant has a vested interest in securing a happy placement and will help both sides come to a reasonable, rational, and positive agreement. They want you to succeed, so being forthright and partnering with them are best practices.

Executive search consultants can be effective conduits for prime opportunities. Knowing how search firms operate and the role consultants play can help candidates present themselves to these professional gatekeepers in compelling ways. While they do not advocate for candidates nor do they decide on who is selected, they do advise their clients on key factors to consider and highlight candidates’ strengths and developmental opportunities vis-à-vis the profile developed for the position in question. Their opinions, advice, and recommendations matter, and making a favorable impression is important. Building a relationship with two or three consultants can be a smart career development strategy. Consider responding to their solicitations, referring candidates to them, seeking their advice, being respectful and forthright in your conversations, and, overall, being a good higher education colleague. Doing so can be beneficial over the course of your career. Knowing consultants’ roles, respecting their time, and partnering with them are smart networking techniques that open doors to more and better opportunities.